Light versus Darkness: The War Between the Classes
by DreamSeerXIII
Summary: Roxas and Namine get involved in a school-wide experiment created for the sake of fighting the darkness in people's hearts. The full summary is inside. Please Read and Review!
1. Full Summary

**The fact that I admire the concept of Kingdom Hearts, as well as the attitude of people in my school, is what inspired me to make this new fanfiction!**

**I haven't really been on Fanfiction in a while due to some plot development progress on Rising Crisis, which is a story I've been developing for years. Oh yeah speaking of Rising Crisis, as soon as the first chapter is done I'm going publish it on FictionPress once I get an account! So stay tuned!**

**This chapter is just the full summary of this new Kingdom Hearts story! The first chapter will be out soon!**

**Read and Review!**

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><p>Roxas loves Namine as a good friend, and Namine feels the same way. They've always made time for each other and understood each other whenever they were feeling stressed or angry or sad. Namine admires how Roxas knows every single detail about Namine not because she keeps reminding him, but because he's actually there to listen and pay attention.<p>

Unfortunately they both have similar problems that cannot be solved easily. They live in separate towns. Roxas lives in the far Twilight Town, while Namine lives in Traverse Town. The rich, high society, upper-class Organization XIII refuse to approve of Roxas's relationship with Namine, and Namine's lower-class family doesn't accept Roxas either.

Roxas refuses to let Organization XIII alienate him from Namine and will do anything to be with her. Namine is confused because she's devoted to her family, but at the same time she wants to be as rebellious and Roxas is.

The other is problem is that both Namine and Roxas struggle to cope with the constant tension every day in the Academy they both attend. It seems no one but Roxas, Namine, and few of the friends they have take what is learned in class very seriously. No matter how many times the teachers discipline the students and teach them about kindness, love and responsibility, every day Roxas and Namine witness bullying, racism, homophobia, discrimination, stereotyping, and prejudice.

Then one day at the beginning of April, the new principal of the Academy, Principal Ansem, introduces a game called the Game of Light and Shadow, also known as the Rainbow or Colour Game, which he announces to be held annually every year from then on. The Game of Light and Shadow is actually an experiment designed to make people aware of darkness in their hearts and teach them to start fighting that darkness and showing some light. The seven colours of the rainbow represent social status and race depending on which colour travels the farthest.

Roxas and Namine believe at first the game is going to be fun. They believe the Colour Game will make the Academy a better place and the students will finally learn their lessons and extinguish the darkness in their hearts. And then the Game finally begins...

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><p><strong>Well, that's the end of the summary. Hope you enjoyed reading!<strong>

**So, does the story sound interesting to you?**

**I** **hope you review!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Here's the first chapter of my new story! Hope you enjoy reading!**

**Please read and review!**

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><p>When I wake up, I notice Yuka and Coren are gone. I figure they went out to the backyard to take care of Millie. I get up and look out the window. Yes, they certainly did.<p>

My little brother and sister are smiling in the backyard. It's sunny outside. Yuka is busy tying a white bag full of goat's milk to a thick tree branch with a bucket underneath. As for Coren, he's busy petting the goat, Millie, smiling as Millie barks like a dog and shakes her head like crazy.

"Why don't you water the strawberries and baby potatoes, Coren?" Yuka suggests, and right away Coren jumps off the small bench and grabs the watering can.

I smile just at the sight of my siblings' happy faces. Yuka, younger than me by three years, has a beautiful face, and smiling just makes her more cute than she is. Coren, who is younger than Yuka by five years, is as fresh as a raindrop. I always knew I loved those two from the moment each of them were born.

They should be alright out there. Besides, I have my own work to do. I have to meet with Roxas.

I stand up and change from a plain white shirt and pants to brown pants, a green shirt and a black jacket. I slip my feet into my ivory boots, and then I quietly leave the house without disturbing the sleep of my mother and father.

Just outside the house in an old shed is my bow and quiver of arrows, along with a Swiss Army knife that belonged to my grandfather before he passed away several years ago. I open the shed and pick up my bow and carry the quiver and slip the knife into my pocket. Closing the gate behind me, I sprint away from my house.

I live in a small part of Traverse Town, known to a lot of people as the Glade. The reason why it's called that is because it's at the very edge of Traverse Town and it's closest to the large fence that separates the town from the forest that is the borderline between Twilight Town and Traverse Town. The Glade is basically the real edge of the forest. There's more green here than in the rest of the town, and the sun shines in this area more often, while the rest of town is cloudy.

The fence is made of sturdy wood held in place by thick iron bars. I can't help but think the builders who made the town I call home were pretty eco-friendly. Instead of using fresh lumber for majority of the buildings, the buildings in Traverse Town are made of bricks and logs that came from trees that were killed by a past called the mountain pine beetle. Houses in the Glade are the only ones made enitrely of wood. There's only one brick house in the Glade, and that house happens to be mine.

There's a hole underneath one part of the fence, and it's close to home so I always enter and exit the forest through here. I easily fit through just by bending over and just grazing the fence. Now I'm on the other side, and I walk toward the forest, with the fresh scent of nature following me as I walk. The forest air is clean. I like it here better than in town.

Waiting in a small clearing is someone who seems to be the only person in the world I'm certain I trust with secrets and knowledge of inner feelings. Roxas. He's my best friend, and the only one I've ever had my whole life. I've known him ever since my father got me registered to attend the Academy just two years ago. Roxas was the only one who noticed me feeling lonely in class. He was the one who gave me a tour of the school and helped me with a lot of schoolwork. We got to know each other during that time, and I guess that's how we created the relationship we have now. The forest is the only place other than the Academy that I can spend time with him, since he actually comes from Twilight Town, which is very far from here.

Just a month after we met, I ran into him while picking blackberries in the woods. Roxas said the forest is his only freedom from Organization XIII. I told him I come to the forest because I'm trying to keep my family alive and there's a lot of things in the forest that I could earn money off, so he agreed to help me, just like he always does. Now these days I earn twice as much as I use to, and it's all thanks to him. He's really good at spear fishing and climbing trees, and he's able to tell which plant is edible or good for medicine.

Seeing him right now just makes me smile. He turns to look at me and smiles back.

"Hey, sweetheart," Roxas says with a wink. He's been calling me that ever since he joked about how our friendship makes us look more like star-crossed lovers. I've gotten use to it. In fact, I'd like to call him "sweetheart" back, but I feel too embarrassed and shy.

"How was the walk?" I ask, since Roxas has to travel a long way through the forest just to reach this meeting place. I once tried to tell him he doesn't need to go so far, but he just got a bit angry and said he'll do anything to spend time with me. I usually find him sitting and leaning against a tree, exhausted from the long jog to meet me here, but today, he's actually standing up.

"It was alright," he says back. "I had to run for a bit, but it doesn't seem like such a far walk anymore." Roxas kneels down and unzips his backpack. "Check this out." He pulls out two paper bags and opens them to let me see and smell 2 loaves of bread, both having large holes in them. The other bag contains a dozen dinner rolls and a dozen croissants and 6 naan breads and Turkish bread. All but the croissants and dinner rolls have holes in them.

I laugh. "How did they end up like that?"

"Demyx and Axel were going to feast on them for breakfast. They're monsters when it comes to fresh baked goods," Roxas replies. "I manages to obtain the small stuff," he pointed to the rolls. "but I couldn't get to the other stuff without them catching me. So I threw one of my spears. Luckily Axel was napping on the couch and Demyx was distracted by his sitar. I'm surprised they were awake early today."

He gives me the bags and I allow myself to inhale the warm aroma of fresh bread. It's real bakery bread, just like the bread my aunt and uncle makes. They own a bakery that's not too far from my house. Yuka and Coren spend a lot of time there, and they get paid a decent price for helping with all the baking. Plus, Yuka and Coren always bring home bread my aunt gives them.

"Yum, they're still warm," I say. "We could have a picnic and feast on this all morning."

"The bread's all for you, sweetheart," says Roxas.

For a moment I register what he said into my brain, and then I gasp, "It is?"

Roxas nods. "Of course it is! You and your family need it more than Axel and Demyx anyway!"

And then we're both laughing. Once we settle down, Roxas leads me to the blackberry bush, where I pull out my Swiss Army knife and start cutting through the thorns to reach the ripest berries while Roxas goes to the stream nearby and starts spearing fish. Roxas and I later set off hunting down some game and looking for edible plants. By seven o'clock in the morning, we have a dozen fish, a container of blackberries, a plastic bag of herbs and dandelion greens, and four quails, 1 wild turkey, and 3 rabbits. We meet up again in the clearing and Roxas helps me clean the fish and game and helps me store it all in a leather bag. Roxas kept joking about a lot of things, like the Academy and Organization XIII, and I laughed at every single joke. After packing, we sat together in silence, gazing at the view of the beautiful green forest, with a wonderful view of Twilight Town's clock tower.

Just then, Roxas suddenly breaks the silence. "You know, sweetheart, it is possible."

I look at him, curious. "What's possible?"

He looks back at me with the ghost of a smile. "We can leave the Academy. We could run away together, start a life in the woods. You and I, with our skills, we can make it."

I don't what to say. What made Roxas come up with that idea?

"If we leave, we'll finally be together. No one can alienate us from each other anymore. Not your parents, not Organization XIII. We'll be free."

Organization XIII and running away are being mixed together in my mind. If we did run away, Organization XIII's power would be able to...

"Catch us." I say, finishing what I said in my thoughts.

"Pardon?"

"They'd catch us," I say again.

Roxas seems to get it. "No, Organization XIII won't be able to catch us in the act. Even if Xemnas and Marluxia and the others can open black portals, they won't know exactly where we are. They won't be able to find us."

He's got a point. But that doesn't change my opinion.

"Roxas," I say quietly, the wind making my hair cover my face. "We won't even pass five miles."

Roxas sighs and his gaze leaves my direction and turns to the white clouds in the sky. "Yes," he says. "You're right Namine. Just... just... forget it."

I nod slowly and keep my eyes on the tower as the clock strikes seven thirty. The thought still lingers in my head. Leave Traverse Town? How could I leave Yuka and Coren? Even though they make their own money, it will never be enough for the two of them including my mother and father to make their stomachs full. Ever since my father got injured in an accident at a glass factory, he hasn't been able to work. And my mother barely makes any money through her small herb shop. Even with my mother, brother, and sister working, I'm still the main supporter of my family. Roxas knows that very well already, so why does he bother talking about running away with me and living in the woods?

Maybe it's just because he barely gets any freedom, even though he's rich. He was found by Organization XIII's leader, Xemnas, when he was younger and was raised by them ever since. They barely let him do what he wants. Roxas is always ordered around by the members, telling him what to do. For example, he's not allowed to go walk in Twilight Town unless he's going to the train station leading to the Academy. They don't even allow him to have comments and opinions that are contrary to theirs.

There was this one time when Roxas and I were eating tesserae bread and pemmican in the forest, he started ranting angrily about how the Organization never cares about what he thinks. All they care about is for Roxas to dress and behave appropriately and not embarrass them. However Roxas's interests and hobbies seem to embarrass them. And his talking.

"I'm always scolded by Axel and Xigbar, telling me, 'You are not saying it correctly' and 'You are not very polite'," Roxas said. "Basically what they're telling me is to 'talk and dress properly so that you can prove how rich you are.' Heck, Larxene even started spazzing that she'd rather suffer the bubonic plague than be embarrassed by me." He started laughing at that moment and added, "If you ask me, suffering bubonic plague must be extremely embarrassing in high society. With all the coughing, drooling, vomiting, hallucinating, and so on."

Just remembering that makes me realize exactly why the idea of running away came to him. He's tired of being bossed around and told to prove his social status. That's exactly why he wants to run away, and he wants to take me with him.

Roxas's voice takes me back to reality. "Do you want to go to town now? What do you want to sell?"

"Oh! Um... Maybe the greens... and some of the fish."

With that we pack up and I lead Roxas back to the fence.

We swing by the Market Street in Traverse Town, and it's very busy. It's not like the Market Street in Twilight Town, Roxas said once. There's darker colours here in Market Street, while the one in Twilight Town has brighter, more vibrant colours that give the street a festive feel.

Today, Traverse Town's Market Street is crowded. There are merchants running stands and shops that contain clothing and tools, but majority of merchants are selling specialty foods and fresh veggies and fruit.

"Be careful, sweetheart," Roxas says. "We might lose each other in this big-ass crowd." His hand lingers near mine, and I take it gently. We walk around town, occasionally browsing a few shops.

We don't sell the bread, since it was Roxas's gift to me. A man selling vegetables was willing to trade a bag of spinach leaves in exchange for my dandelion leaves, so I didn't earn any money there, but at least I got something for dinner tonight. After a bit more browsing, I go see my mother's friend Rinoa, who earns her living making soup, stew, casseroles, and some pies. I always get a fantastic price for what I give Rinoa because she's a really accomplished and remarkable woman who really knows her meat. She's the only one I count on to buy fresh game. Plus, she enjoys making blackberry jam and her husband Leon has a passion for strawberries, especially the ones Yuka and Coren bring to sell.

Rinoa smiles once she sees me walking with Roxas toward her soup kitchen. "How much blackberries today?" she asks.

"Not as much as usual, but there's still a lot," I say as I hand her the birds and rabbits and container of blackberries.

"So, Namine," Rinoa says. "How's your parents? I haven't seen Norah for a long time."

Norah is the name of my mother. "They're fine. Totally."

Rinoa nods. "I wonder if your sister's strawberries have ripened yet. Leon's been buying strawberries from the market lately. I think he prefers the ones your siblings grow better."

I giggle. "I'm sure he does!"

Suddenly, Rinoa's eyes turn to Roxas. "Oh, are you Roxas, Namine's friend?"

Roxas jumps a bit at Rinoa's sudden question. "Y-Yes, I am."

"I see..." Rinoa's smile begins to disappear. "Norah told me about you. My name is Rinoa Heartilly, just in case you didn't know."

Just seeing Rinoa's positive expression change is making me nervous.

"I can't help but admit you're a very handsome boy," says Rinoa. "despite the fact that... er... you don't _look_ rich even though you are..."

I take a deep breath. I have a bad feeling there's a bit of tension in the air.

Roxas gives Rinoa the same look he has when around the rich snobs that attend the Academy. "Well, my social status doesn't really need to be shown by wearing the proper clothing. Being in this town, I need to blend in, right?"

Now it's Rinoa's turn to be confused. "You sure... um... you're not feeling uneasy around people here? Because majority of citizens in Traverse Town is... uh... in the middle and lower class..."

I can tell Roxas is getting angry. "I have a lot of friends at school who are in the middle and lower class, and that includes Namine, so I'm perfectly fine. Seriously."

Rinoa's smile returns. "Well, that's okay with me... I just wanted to make sure you don't get... beaten up or something by some criminal in an alley. Besides, you and Namine are good friends."

I think I should step in before the volcano erupts. "Um, the money?" I ask.

"Oh! Of course!" Rinoa opens the cash register and hands me the money. "Oh, and take this too." She hands me tessera grain and pemmican mix, and even the rabbits I had just given her.

"Are you sure?" I ask.

"Rabbit is not something you can afford everyday, so you should keep it. I'm okay with the turkey and quail. Besides, once it's in a casserole, I'll call 'em chicken."

"I see what you mean," I say.

"Have a good day at school," she says to me.

I wave goodbye to Rinoa as we depart, then Roxas and I walk in silence. I don't like how Roxas and Rinoa spoke to each other, but I understand how an upper-class person wandering the streets belonging to those in the lower-class can set her off. There's not a single person who has too much money to count in Traverse Town, and the people here feel a lot of contempt when it comes to the rich. When Rinoa gave me the rabbits, she meant that rabbit meat should only be affordable by the rich. That rabbit meat just symbolized how much contempt she had for the upper-class, it symbolized her dislike for Roxas. Roxas must know that as well.

But I think Rinoa's wrong about what she thinks. I don't really care about who's rich and who's not. I believe social status or physical appearance isn't the key to making friends. As long as they're good as human beings, I'll be friends with them. Roxas believes the same thing. I know because he said so once in the forest. He said that was why he decided to be friends with me in the first place. He didn't care if I was in the lower class or not. I remember when he said that I felt so much better and I gave him a tight hug.

Roxas walks me home and says he'll go back to town and catch the train that will take him back to Twilight Town. Then he'll meet me at the Academy.

"Goodbye, Roxas," I say.

"See ya later, sweetheart," he says halfheartedly, probably upset from earlier.

When I enter my house, my mother and father are sitting on the couch in the living room with Yuka and Coren busy playing a card game.

"You're a bit late," my father says.

"While I was trading at Market Street, I stopped by Rinoa's place and we were talking."

My mother stood up. "What did you manage to get today?"

"Rinoa let me keep the rabbits," I say. "And I got some spinach."

Yuka gasped and looked up from the cards on the floor. "Namine! Where did you get the baked stuff?"

_Oh, of course..._ I think. "Um... Roxas gave the bread to me. He said he stole it from the other Organization members..."

"I see..." My father clears his throat, not looking directly at me.

My mother nods and I hand her the food. "I'll go slice the bread," she says. "I bought a bit of garlic and soy sauce from the market earlier for some rosemary and thyme. I'll cook the rabbits for dinner tonight."

"What about lunch?" Yuka asks.

"We'll have the Turkish bread for lunch," my mother replies. Then she looks away from me and Yuka and says quietly, "Thank you, Roxas. Thank you for the bread. I didn't think you were so kind..."

My mother goes to the kitchen with the food and my siblings resume their card game. I sigh and sit next to my father, feeling a bit anxious.

"Namine," my father whispers.

I look at him, wondering what he's going to say.

"You've been supporting us by doing... you know... what you usually do..." he begins. "And that boy's actually been helping you..."

"Dad?" I say.

He didn't look at me. "He seems very kind to be helping you with such things... I didn't think rich people liked places like the forest, I didn't think they liked getting dirty."

I sigh. "Dad, only some of them don't," and I add urgently, "Only _some_ of them."

"Yes, Namine, I know, but..." he says. "If he's to hunt with you every morning... if he's to walk from Twilight Town to here to help you... Roxas must really care about you."

I grin. "He does. I care about him too."

My father looks at me and asks, "How long is Twilight Town from here?"

"By walking or running, it's an hour and a half."

"Maybe Norah and I have been wrong... just about him, that is. He's different from all those rich people, all those... proud, arrogant rich people."

"Dad, they're not all like that."

"Namine, they are. I'm just saying your friend is different from them," my father turns away again. "He must be exhausted from walking such a long way from Twilight Town to here."

"What are you trying to tell me, Dad?" I ask.

"Look, I'll assume Roxas is a kind person and does care about you, but that doesn't change my thoughts on rich people. Deep in my heart, I know I still won't approve of my daughter spending time with a rich person, especially a person in Organization XIII. Do you understand me?"

I nod.

"Get ready for school now."

I get up and go to my room and change into my school uniform. I've always known my father held a strong disdain for Organization XIII.

He, like everyone in Traverse Town, didn't like the rich. But he started his anger at the Organization in particular just a few years ago, right after he got me registered to attend the Academy and a week after I met Roxas. He got injured in the glass factory and was suppose to be the recipient of insurance money. But Organization XIII, the ones in charge of that, didn't give it to him.

That was because Roxas told me he, without meaning to, bragged about his new friendship with me, and he got grounded as a result. The Organization found out Roxas's new friend was the one whose father got hurt at work. Just because they felt embarrassed by Roxas again, this time because of his friendship with me, they canceled my father's insurance, and since then he could not get a new one.

I've never recovered from that incident. I felt so guilty, but I didn't regret meeting Roxas. But still, I feel like it's all my fault for getting Dad into so much trouble. Luckily he doesn't know the canceling of his insurance had me involved in it, because they never told him, and I didn't either.

That's what makes him and my mother dislike Roxas, because he's from the Organization. Roxas is my friend, but they don't approve of our relationship at all.

I check to see if all my work is in my backpack, and check to see if I have enough money for train fare.

When I come back into the living room, my sister and brother are munching on croissants, their faces cheerful and fresh, ready for the day's events.

"You going to school now?" Yuka asks. "Goodbye."

I bend over and give my sister a light kiss on the forehead. "Yes, goodbye. Take care of your brother."

Coren just stares at me, wide-eyed and silent. He's never said a single word in his life. I want to kiss him too, but for some strange reason, he's never wanted to be touched. The last time he was touched was when my father had to carry him away from Rinoa's house when we paid a visit and were ready to leave, and he started screaming, gasping, and thrashing about.

"Goodbye, little ones..." I say.

"Good luck at school," my father says.

"Have fun at the dance," says my mother. Right after classes there's a dance that celebrates returning to the Academy after spring break, since it was just a week ago.

"Yeah," I nod.

Then I step out of the house and close the door behind me.

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><p><strong>That's the end of Chapter 1! Hope you enjoyed reading!<strong>

**Next Chapter will be coming soon!**

**PLEASE Review!**


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